and also at @thelead. also check out our facebook page. that's it for "the lead," i'm jake tapper. thank you, happening now, police withheld 911 recordings from the newtown massacre. there is controversy about whether or not the audio should ever be heard. what impact will it have and why release them now? tens of millions of americans are about to see temperatures plummet by 60 degrees or more in a matter of hours. sub zero temperatures, snow, and ice. cities not terribly used to the cold. where is this weather now and could it be headed toward you. will have be charges in that deadly new york train derailment. he broke down, reportedly filled with remorse.

i'm wolf blitzer and you're in "the situation room." we begin with the public release of those chilling and heart wrenching 911 calls from the sandy hook elementary school shooting that left 20 students, young kids dead, six adults dead as well. police in newtown, connecticut distributed nearly 30 minutes of the calls today. the recordings have generated a great deal of controversy here at cnn and across the country. at this hour cnn is carefully reviewing those calls. debra ferrick is joining us now about what we learned from the calls and the portions cnn decided to air. >> one of the reasons the staps were released is there wanted to be no questions as to what

happened in terms of who acts properly and who did what. by not releasing them it created more conspiracies. the thinking was in a the tapes should be released. you don't hear screaming, you don't hair chaos or pandemonium. what you here is a quiet fear as people called 911 to tell dispatchers that a gunman was in the building. one woman called and pleaded with dispatchers to send police as quickly as possible. she saw the gunman and she heard what appear todd sound like shooting. another woman who was shot in the foot crawled into a classroom and she is talking to the dispatcher saying she can't get to the door to close it because there are children hiding in the room. everybody was quiet and trying to hide and hope the gunman didn't come back to where they were. so listening to the control of

the dispatchers, the krole of the people in that building making these calls, it's remarkable, wolf. >> what new details do we hear from people in the school, the atmosphere as the tragic events were unfolding. >> you realize how this unfolds in stages. when the calls came into dispatchers, the dispatcher immediately notified his sergeant. he knew this was big. he immediately called connecticut state police, and there was a call from a custodian in the building that became the eyes and ears for the police and law enforcement. he was able to say where the sounds of the shooting were coming from. he was able to say when there was gunfire and silence at well. at one point he is confronted by responding offices and the dispatcher says tell them who you are, and he says custodian, when they realize, they say tell the dispatcher to get connecticut police here and the

dispatcher says tell them their on their way. so there is so much that was going on and so much that was happening on so quickly as police try to determine exactly what was happening in the school that you hear the urgency and you realize the horror of what is going on unfolding not almost immediately but in stages as you hear them calling for the connecticut state police while they try to remain quiet and hidden. >> can you explain why we're not playing the tapes? >> a team of very smart people are listening to them, determining the value, determining what is news worthy. what is of value. clearly everyone, not just here at cnn but elsewhere wants to maintain the dignity of the families and what they lost. nobody apts to retraumatize anybody. they are already traumatized as

it is. and that's why everyone is being so careful. >> thank you. we're obviously very aware of this very sensitive nature of all of this. the potential for the calls to strike a fresh blow to the families that lost loved ones that day. i was in newtown in the hours and days after the shooting. among the people i spoke to was a reverend who was with the newtown families as they learned their children had been killed. i spoke to him today about what was going on and about the possible impact of these just released 911 recordings. >> as a pastor, i know the release of the tapes and information in general that has been happening in the course of the last few weeks is very traumatizing to many in the community and very difficult. i also know that information is important thing to have, but because of the nature of the

circumstances of what's happened to us, and because of all of the attention, that creates a real challenge for us, especially as we near the anniversary. i know many folks, those closest and most affected by the events, this is just a gut wrenching, awful time to have to receive and hear about and try to shelter themselves from the information that's coming out in it the midst of continued grief and continued desire by many of them to try to find their way. this is just another challenge, and another difficulty. and we're doing our best to try and provide comfort and support for people. >> we put together a panel to look at every angle of all of this. our senior media correspondent

is here with us as is john king and jeffrey toobin. dr. drew pinsky, host of "dr. drew on call." these are difficult decisions not only for us at cnn, but for all news organizations, when to play it, if to play it, what are you hearing? >> and these happened early this morning. days ago but early this morning and all throughout the day about what to do with these tapes. all of the networks and major news organizations took a wait and listen approach. they didn't decide what to do ahead of time about it. for example fox news within an hour played a couple audio clips, but not what they said was heart wrenching, abc is not going to air it at all. nbc is not going to air the audio at all, but cbs will. many different decisions from organizations today. dr. drew, for the families,

how painful could this be hearing those audio tapes. >> horrific, they need to not listen to this absolutely. the fact that the families need to avoid all of this, you showed the pictures of the victims, a bystander, and that was difficult to look at. the fact that these go on is retraumatizing the families. the rest of us should take a good hard look at this. i remember a year ago that we crossed into a new zone as a country and we must solve these problems and look at these things if it means listening to these tapes, and it sounds like we will hear heroism and horror. >> jeffrey, newtown officials didn't want the judge to release these tapes but the judge made the decision to go ahead legally speaking was there any choice?

>> not really. the judge made, i thought, the only decision he could and i think it is worth pointing out that these tapes, while poignant, they're not as disturbing as they might have been. they don't have the voices of children on them. what's horrible is what we know is going on president the tapes show the professionalism, the cool of the people calling in. the tapes are not disturbing, it's the underlying facts. it's the reminder and the tabs that is so significant. >> as all of us remember, within a few days after the kigings, the president came to new town and he said these tragedies must end and to end them we must change, have we really changed?

at the national level not a significant policy way. there was an attempt at new gun controls. to see, you know, yet another case when people say did we miss a sign? did the family, the school, somebody in the government miss a signal? there was an attempt to expand background checks. don't expect anything to change any time soon on that front. if you look around the country, different communities, school security conversations went on. both politically and geographically. so different responses at the state and local level. a lot of talk, and not -- people with perspectives, but not a lot of action at the federal level. >> today reopens those conversations for better or for

worst. >> the news media is being asked by so many families to stay away from newtown, connecticut next week, should we stay away? >> i think they should abide by that request. cnn said they will stay out of the town that day. i think other news organizations will as well. >> it doesn't mean that we should not keep this conversation going. let's be careful. let's honor what the families are requesting, but this conversation must go on. the mental health of this has continued. again and again, we had murders where informatiprofessionals do job. that conversation needs to be remembered and top of mind. >> i would like to disagree about how much veto power the parents and families should have

about how we cover this story. the anniversary, i agree. that's not a news story. but the sttapes are. this is an enormous major national event. >> i agree, but they asked us to stay away on the anniversary that is sacred. >> how important it is to be in newtown that day. >> we can have the conversation without intruding on these poor people. they don't have to be intrusive, but we must keep the conversation going. >> here is more of my conversation with the reverend that spent the last year trying to comfort some of those families. >> i would be reluctant to speak for and declare anyone, what exactly is happening for any individual, but what i say is i

have been recently quoting lyrics that there is a crack in everything. but that's how the light gets in. i think in newtown, we're cracked. this has affected all of us very deeply, and especially our families that lost loved ones. and so we're cracked. but also out of that we see light that is coming into people's lives and being shared by people's lives. we think the story for many of our families as well as many of the citizens of newtown is that we are finding ways to be kind to each other. we're finding ways to encourage each other and to make a difference out of the circumstances which just were beyond imagination for most of us. i think there is a real power there. but day by day, it's one step at a time. there are going to be continued struggles, certainly as information and attention comes

ut, like today, that is just another event that causes trauma to people in our community. >> i think he brilliantly and beautifully put a fine point on this which is that they're cracked, the light is coming in, and we must continue to illuminate this conversation without hurting these people. there is a way to do that. there is specific points that need to be addressed. the panel said there is a lot of conversation but nothing resolved. so we must continue to illuminate this. >> john, he himself told me that he has cracked inside. this has been so painful for the families, and he was there on that day at that school when the parents were notified. >> but you see, this janitor is clearly a hero. you see it in boston where again

as the months passed, some of the victims stepped forward. some of them were younger, some older. but they get magnified. so you get next generation, new generation of leaders in communities like this. when they tell us to stay away, we should listen. we should talk to them the day before, the week after, and the week after that. they have insights that we don't. the political leaders with b i will not give a speech, that is up to the democratic process to decide, but everybody, regardless of position, should talk to that reverend to get that perspective. >> good conversation, an important conversation. thanks to all of you again for joining us. up next, bone chilling cold sweeping from the arctic. millions of americans are about to get a dangerous taste of

winter-like weather. president obama calls for a hike in the federal minimum wage. before using her new bank of america credit card, a

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. sub zero temperatures, snow and ice, an arctic blast spreads across a huge swath of the country. take a look at the cold it gave to wyoming. this is all on the move and much of the southern u.s. is about to see temperatures plummet as well.

chad moeyers has the forecast, let's go to ana cabrera. how bad is it over there, temperatures in the single digits? >> the temperatures are plummeting, wolf, we're settling in for a deep freeze here in colorado. all of this snow is still piling up, it is frigid cold, we're talking negative nine degrees for the overnight low and single digits tomorrow. the homeless shelters are filling up. the roads are icing up, again after they were cleared today. again even the deicing agent we put on the roads stops working. we have the dangers of the avalanches in the high country continuing to build. it was so concerning that at beaver creek ski resport where they had ski training, they had

to cancel some of the sessions today. >> how long do we expect this arctic chill to continue there? >> that's the big reason this is such an unusual weather event here in colorado where we do see snow, we do see cold temperatures, but it's usually not this cold for such a long duration. and we're not expecting to see anything above teens until some time next week, let alone when we're going to get above freezing where things can start to thaw out. so the national weather service telling us this stretch of cold weather has not been seen here in years. >> ana, thanks very much. let's get the forecast now, chad meyers is joining us now. where is the the front right now, where is it heading. >> moving through oklahoma on it's way to texas, wolf. eight in denver, 26 in guyman, oklahoma. so the could air is just rolling through oklahoma right now and that's the problem. there's not really a storm right

now, it's just cold air moving south. and then later on this week, thursday night and friday, warm air will try to go on top of that cold air. it will be 28 in dallas and it will start to rain. there is no place in the world that can handle that. there will be millions of people without power from this storm, wolf, north texas. it is turning rain into cold air. it's cold at the surface, and it rains through. if it hits you and you can hear it or feel it, that's sleet. by the time it gets to the east coast, it's gone. there will be inches of this stuff across oklahoma, arkansas, this is all ice, half an inch at least, building up on trees and

powerlines and those will come down. a foot of snow from arkansas to kentucky. it all sets up like this, you get a city, take dallas fort worth. the cold air is on it's way. it barrels under because it's heavy year. the rain comes through, it will all be liquid. if it goes to dallas, it will be freeding rain. to the north, it's thick enough this rain freezes before it hits. farther back, it's just all snow. >> how unusual and extraordinary is this whether pattern that we're seeing yesterday, today, and tomorrow. >> this is at least every two to three years, but not more than that, wolf. when you consider that it's eight degrees in denver, 28 in anchorage, alaska, that's all of the cold air that was in the

arctic that has now come down into the u.s. and we're feeling it right here. >> certainly are. thanks, chad. on top of the story as he always is. dick cheney speaks out over his daughter's feud over gay rights. time is running out for dozens of whales trapped in southern florida. ♪

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some say president obama who revved up a democratic crowd today that called for lifting up the poor and raising the minimum wage, jim acosta watched it today. >> just as the president is trying to fiction the obama care brand, he is working on the obama brand. it is not just obama care.

president obama was on a mission to fire up his base. >> he laid out a decidedly progressive second term agenda. calling for a raise in the money mum wage from $7.25 to $10 an hour. he casted republicans as a scrouge if they stand in the way. >> it will happen if congress does not act before they leave on their holiday vacation. >> sources leaked out new enrollment numbers, some $29,000 signing up in the first two days in december. republicans argue that's not fast enough to enroll the millions of americans who have seen their policies cancel. >> what will these patients and

families do when they show up at the hospital or need to reorder a life saving prescription on new year's day and the obama care plan is not yet available. this coverage gap is real. >> this is a big deal to quote joe biden. >> the president also appealed to another key part of his base when a youth summit gathered at the white house. mr. obama answered critics who says he has been avoiding an affordable care act nickname. >> i know people call this law obama care. that's okay. because i do care. and -- i do. i care about you. i care about -- >> the president made this policy pitch today knowing full well republicans in congress will not go for it, but that fits the president's political goals for the upcoming year. not only taking the fight in the upcoming state of the union speech, but in the coming months

election cycle. >> let's continue with gloria bor borger. what is the president attempting to establish today? >> one is an issue of poverty and inequality. he started his career organizing poor people in chicago. this is an issue i thought he would come back to in this term and he has. the other part of this is look, this is not much different from the conversation we had in 2012 about -- it's equality stupid. he is taking it back to the issues of expanding for the middle class, that republicans didn't have a good answer for in 2012. >> i think you heard it we have all heard it. i think this is a way to lay the

groundwork for ib inequality issues. what you do with medicare, medicaid, and i think he sort of is dipping his toe into that now a little bit early. >> i do think that cornell is right. this is a base that has been demoralized in the last few weeks and months because of the debacle that has been the obama care rollout. it is important to republican that to listen to that speech today, you would have to think he has not been president for five years. his inability to get things done is congress is because he did not work with many people up there. he doesn't have good relationships with democrats on capitol hill. >> what republicans are going to vote for the increase in minimum wage, that's not realistic.

>> but they said politically we're going to try to block everything he does. they had been true to form there. when he had a democratic majority that worked with him, they passed legislation that pulled us out of recession. if he had republicans that kraech -- reach across the aisle, there is support. where remembers want to see greater economic opportunity and the larger reforms, and the president has not been very successful. there is corporate tax reform -- >> the problem is when you say tax reform you mean cutting taxes for the wealthy. >> no reforming the tax code to incentivize businesses to hire. >> but again, i would say you have a lot of blockaids in your own party. >> i want to get your take.

on the former vice president dick cheney speaking out about the feud between his daughters. listen to this. >> we were surprised when there was an attack launched against liz on facebook. and we wished it had not happened. it was always dealt with in the family and we wish it was. >> it was launched against liz by her sister and her wife. >> this is a little godfatherish. we want to keep this in the family, but the irony here for dick cheney is that he is to the left of his own daughter who is running for the senate in the state of wyoming on the issue of

gay marriage. he said that he believes in personal freedom and that he believes it's an issue that should be left up to the states and she has said i'm opposed to gay marriage. so he is more libertarian than he is. >> the family fuse within the family, and in the republican party, they're having a debate about opportunity and equality. by the way, that's blocking them from expanding their base. most americans moved on from this issue. republicans are still struggling with it. >> are you still struggling with it? >> this is a very tough issue. families deal with this and political parties deal with it every day. what i find interesting about how it has become a news item is the cheney family issue becoming a news item, i think it's tougher for former vice president cheney to navigate is this is a new digital world that we're dealing in. the american idolization of

politics is where things that are personal become very public. that changed. it wasn't like that in 2008 or 2004 when he was running. >> she made those statements on television, liz cheney, republicaning for the nomination, she made those -- >> this is a facebook post fight back and forth. >> but it's a family -- >> that's how it became a bigger issue. >> i think he was truly surprised by the facebook post. and in the state of wyoming, this is not issue number one. this is a side show to things like taxes and fishing licenses. but what this is within the state is a fight to see if the republican establishment wins. she is portraying herself as more conservative than the incumbent. >> i have worked with the nrsc

who is supporting mike enzie, but that is something that's not as much of a policy issue, but it's a character issue. it's a question about why is liliz cheney having a fight that's very public in her public. >> a person will try to block a person's right to marriage equality. >> they all agree. >> they agree on this issue, but it's not a problem for mike enzi, it's a problem for liz because she is fighting about it with her sister. >> thank you very much. up next, new details about the crash that killed paul walker. the future of "the fast and furious" franchise. a lottery ticket lost for nearly a year.

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other stories coming into "the situation room" right now. the autopsy results for paul walker are in. he died from injuries sustained by the impact and fire from the accident. his friend was driving, walker was the passenger. universal pictures says production of the latest movie, the seventh installment of "the fast and the furious" will be shut down for awhile to talk

about options. celebrity chef nigela lawson admits to have used cocaine twice. she appeared on the abc show "the taste" here in the united states. wild life officials are trying to rescue about 40 whales trapped in shallow water. workers were able to get some of the whales back into the water, but ten of them have died so far. dennis rodman will go back to north korea soon. the retired in, ba star will bring other former players to play in an exhibition game in north korea. the names of those players have not been released. it's unclear if he will meet

with kim jung -un who rodman called, and i quote, his friend for life. a woman in canada is the winner of the lottery even though she lost her ticket and the money went unclaimed for nearly a year. she called the experience, and i'm quoting her now, a very weird and wonderful journey. so what if you were convicted of a crime that you didn't commit. what if no one believed you were innocent, not even your own son? this is the incredible story of an innocent man set to jail for killing his wife and his fight to clear his name. can the truth set him free? watch the cnn films "an unreal dream" that is tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. eastern here on cnn. just ahead, nick robertson recalls surviving a train crash

himself. >> plus, fear of a dirty bomb, who is behind the theft of a truck carrying radio active material. ? ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ [ male announcer ] the beautifully practical and practically beautiful cadillac srx. get the best offers of the season now. lease this 2014 srx for around $369 a month with premium care maintenance included. ♪ ♪ by the end of december, we'll be delivering ♪ ♪ through 12 blizzards blowing ♪ 8 front yards blinding ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman ♪ that kind of freaks me out [ beep ] [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service.

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. regular service along new york's metro north line has mostly resumed after the derailment that killed four people. there are several significant developments in the investigation, including questions about whether the engineer will actually face criminal charges. cnn's nic robertson joins us now from new york. the accident, but here's the question, will prosecutors see it the same way? >> well, the bronx d.a. hasn't said what he's going to do. other lawyers are looking at this and they're saying there is a case here of negligent homicide or even criminally

negligent homicide. the very act of speeding along the track is reckless or grossly negligent conduct, which would result in one of those charges. the criminally negligent homicide, if you will, would come into play if the driver -- if the engineer of the train was known to be doing something distracting or had taken drugs or alcohol. certainly been cleared of taking alcohol so far, but these are the factor lawyers are looking at right now. >> i'm going to show the viewers a picture of a train crash, nearly 30 years ago, one in a you unfortunately had to experience yourself. tell our viewers what happened. >> reporter: wolf, the train engineer on that journey tried to go around a 50-mile-an-hour bend at 90 miles an hour. the train was -- i was in a sleeping compartment, so i didn't have far to fall, but the train came off the rails going around the bend.

i remember sort of slow motion the grinding noise, the falling, the tum bling sensation. when i stopped, that tiny compartment that was in that had a small window in the wall, that window was now a skylight. i was very close to a house. when i eventually got out of there, i realized the carriage i was in was on the side and smashed into the house, a very traumatic experience, and not too many ways dissimilar to this curve, the train coming off at speed around a curve. i broke my wrist, the driver, the engineer came off much worse in that accident, wolf. >> yeah, well, i'm glad you're okay, knick. thanks very much, and thanks for your excellent reporting. coming up, an exclusive look in the very messy home, an inspiration for a new tv series. i'll spiel with one of the stars, mark consuelos.

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take a look at what the first dogs were today, during a tour, a small girl fell over when she was startled by the obama puppy sunny. michelle obama quickly hugged the little girl who bravely held together, and a model sunny will join bo. they're one step closer to the real thing. the dog has since moved since they're mechanical this year. high the kids' eyes, cover their ears, santa is coming to town, but the eyes aren't exactly twinkling. this santa is warning of trouble at the north pole. cnn's jeanne moos reports. >> reporter: it looks like a hostage video. instead of al qaeda, it's santa. >> i bring bad tiding. >> reporter: this disheveled and

depressing santa is none other than the perfectionist buckner carson on "counten abbey." he's dishing out threats. if the ice doesn't stop melting -- >> there may be no alternative but to cancel christmas. >> no! >> reporter: oh, yes, in this spot for the environmental group greenpeace, santa says he's written to president it is obama and putin, but all he's ever gotten is indifference. >> these individuals are now at the top of my naughty list. i've never been called a liberal in my life, and i don't intend to start now. >> actually actor jim carter has been a member of greenpeace for 30 years. >> please help me. >> reporter: but, santa, critics say the arctic ice actually increased this past year. an organization of climate change skeptics told cnn that

santa should be celebrating the return of the ice, but those who believe in global warming say the long-term trend is toward a steep decline in arctic ice. what about the decline in santa's jolly appearance? >> i have to warn you of the possibility of an empty stocking. forever more. >> sad acsanta provoked comments like -- hope that you were prouchbd of yourselves greenpeace. after all, kids freak out over rosie-cheeked santas. not since a real-life bandit robbed a nashville bank dressed as st. nick, have we seen such a sorry excuse for a santa, though i have interviewed a few. >> don't drink and drive. you might spill it. >> reporter: this guy sure doesn't inspire. he conjures up the enof the world. who would you trust to save the

ice caps? this guy or this one? >> don't worry about that, mylady. i have an idea. >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, new york. happening now, reliving a massacre, gut-wrenching 911 calls from the sandy hook element tear shooting. are the tapes simply too painful to here. dirty bomb fierce. homeland security joining the search for stolen radioactive material that could potential be used to make a weapon of mass destruction. do the thieves know what they have and what it can do? and insidal fa house, mark consuelos joins us about a tv series about members of congress who share a home. the real-life lawmakers who inspired the show. i'm wolf blitzer.

you're in "the situation room." right now cnn is reviewing desperate 911 calls from one of the most heartbreaking day, police in newtown, connecticut nearly a year after adam lanza slaughtered 20 first graders and then killed himself. >> after arguing the tapes would add to the community's pain. the recordings have generated a lot of controversy here at cnn and instead across the country. >> tell es what we are learning and what portion cnn has decided to air. >> well, wolf, wonderful things, when you listen to these tapes, you don't hear panic or pandemonium or chaos or

screaming. you hear professionalism by the dispatcher, but also by the teachers, the administrators who are calling for help. it appears that the teachers did what they had to do when they heard the gunfire, they were able to get to the classroom, hide their kids and lock the doors. that's what comes through in terms of listening to these tapes. one teacher, she says she's on the phone, saying we hear gunshots, i've got to go. i've got to now lock my door. she alerts 911, and then does what she's supposed to do, and keeps her kids safe. a second person who is shot in the foot actually crawled into a classroom. even though she's unable to lock her door, she's able to tell the dispatchers 1/3 children in that class, hiding near a bookcase, so police are able to get a clear picture so they could better respond. >> and the one person who stands out in all of this is the school

custodian, who was able to serve as the eyes and ears for all those responding officers who came into that building. he tells them when he's hearing gunshots. he tells them where the gunshots seem to be coming from. so by doing this, he was able to bridge what was going on in dispatch with the responding officers who were there, trying to figure out how many gunmen there were and what specifically was going on, wolf. >> tell our viewers why we're not airing those tapes, at least right now. >> well, we're not airing them right now. we've gone through them very, very careful. everyone has been involved, lawyers, standards and practices, a lot of smart people to determine the news value. by giving us a context, what you see happening is these police in the small town of newtown did what they were supposed to do. the people in the billing who are charged with keep the children say, they too did what they were supposed to do. while there is a bit of urgency and almost this quiet fear, as

they tell the dispatcher they have to send police, what you realize is that everybody was doing what they needed to, to try to get out of this, wolf, alive. >> deborah feyerick, thanks very much. now to an international manhunt for thieves who stole radioactive material that could be used to make a dangerous terror weapon, a so-called dirty bomb brian todd has been looking into this story. >> they got cobalt-60 by stealing a truck near mexico city. mexican authorities have been searching for the truck and the perp traitors for nearly three days. security officials are getting increasingly worried about just who might eventually get their hands on the material. a truck stolen from this gas station in mexico has border authorities on the lookout, and prompted the u.n.'s nuclear watch dog agency to send out an international alert. that's because the material inside is cobalt-60, a radioactive substance used to treat cancer.

it's usually transport indeed lead casing. mexican authorities say if it's removed from that. >> translator: the raid ag, gamma-rays in this case, is harmful and dangerous to your health. >> reporter: security officials have long been concerned that cobalt-60 cooling used by terrorists in a so-called dirty bomb like those seen in this simulation. i asked a homeland security expert if ache truck ball exploded at a crowded city corner -- >> damage the buildings, you'll have injuries and fatalities from the explosion. but the dirty ball, and it's a dirty ball, because it has about this much cobalt-60, it's going to contaminate the area. it's not an immediate threat to public health, but you could not live or work here for the next year or so if it were not cleaned up. it could increase your probability of cancer. >> reporter: experts say it wouldn't be difficult to put cobalt-60 in a conventional ball. so when the device explodes, the

material that would be ejected would have this radioactive material on it. >> reporter: law enforcement officials tell cnn there are a lot of safeguards in place to prevent this material from crossing the border, sensors, devices carried by agents, all border crossings have been alerted by the department of homeland security, but u.s. officials say it is not clear if the thieves were actually after the cobalt-60 or even knew it was inside the truck when they stole it. >> the police report doesn't clarify that, either. >> no, we have details of this report. it says the driver and his stand were resting, when a man with a gun rapped on the window and demanded the keys. they were taken out, hand and feet bound, they were told not to move. they heard one assailants use, and say, quote, it's done. that speaks to some organization, but it does not indicate they were actually after that cobalt-60. brian, thanks very much.

still ahead, a winter storm is unleashing snow and ice. it's set to spread across much of the nation. in some places temperatures could plunge as much as 50 degrees in one day. stand by. we'll have team coverage. a look inside the very messy home shared by one of the washington's power players. it's the inspiration for a new tv series. i'll talk with one of the stars. honestly? no way did i think a tablet was gonna be a good deal.

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a brutal winter storm is on the move right now packing snow, ice and bitter cold. it's threat nudge a big chunk of the nation and threatening to

get worse. chad myers is standing by, but let's go to anna cabrera. she's in boulder, colorado, where it's single digits right now, right? >> reporter: it is frigid doled right now, wolf. we've been out here is this 4:00 local time and the snow has not let up. the temperatures are going even lower. 13 was the high today. sing the digits right now, below zero tonight. the arctic air is expected to let go any time soon. 9 cold temperatures and heavy snow. a dangerous combination gripping parts of the united states. >> it's cold. >> reporter: >> reporter: colorado in the bull's-eye today. more than a foot of snow pounding the mountains, setting up prime avalanche conditions and triggering travel

conditions. >> slippery, and they put de-icer on the road before this, but it doesn't seem to be helping. >> reporter: boulder hit hard by floods in september, now seeing several inches of snow settling on a layer of ice. it's deceptively slippery, with temperatures hovering in the single digits and teens. that's the high. >> anybody that can't find a place to be indoors, that's obviously a real problem. >> reporter: residents are worried. >> my pipes and my plumbing in my house. >> reporter: but this is just the beginning. just the beginning, because tonight it's going to be negative 10 degrees through much of the colorado metro area around denver. single digits for highs tomorrow, back into the negatives. we aren't expecting to see anything higher than teens until sometime in the middle of next week. in fact the national weather service says this could be the

coldest stretch of air that colorado has seen since 2009. >> cold just thinking about it. ana, thanks very much. parts of the best weapons could nose dive from 7 on degrees to 20 degrees tomorrow. let's bring in our chad myers. what's going on, chad? >> it's a big arctic outbreak. we don't usually talk about them in december. we don't see the 808 degree swing. we see 30 to 10. but when you see temperatures at 73 at dallas, love field, it was about 80, going down into the 20s in 24 hours and rain on top of that, fall into that cold air and just make a big ice storm, a huge mess from dallas through oklahoma right into arkansas, up into ohio. there is a battle zone setting up. that's the cold air is going to settle there, going to stop eventually, but warm air tries

to come up from the south. we always fight that battle, but the ice event starts right through here, in missouri, arkansas, oklahoma, and yes, dallas, dallas 80 today, ice storm tomorrow. it was 80 degrees today when the dallas metro national weather service issued a winter storm warning. it was 80 when they made that call to issue is the warning. millions of people through this pink area, including memphis and paducah, all without power. millions without power by late tomorrow night, even into wednesday. yes, wolf, there's another system behind this one that, in fact because of the jet stream stays really in the same place. it's a big dip down through here, back up through here. another storm could -- on sunday. with ice for you. bad news that it's d.c. >> you and i lived in buffalo. we know how to deal with snow

and ice in buffalo, but i've lived here in washington for a long time. we don't deal well with it here. some folks are going to say this is all about climate change, global warming, the extreme weather fluctuations or whatever. what is your sense -- how extraordinary is this? >> this is probably a once in a three or four-year event for december. knolls a big event for january, february or march, so not really record-breaking, but we'll get so many people in the way of the ice storm. this is not -- this is not a 500-year event. >> chad myers with the latest. we'll try to stay warm here in washington, and in atlanta. thanks very much. coming up. >> a refrigerator? well, it's a scary sight. >> it's a lethal weapon. >> you're going to be something amazing. dana bash is about to take us on

an exclusive tour of a home shared here in the nation's capital by three of washington's power players. i'm going to tell you right now, the tour of this home will make you a little queasy, how these guys lived. we'll be joined by one of the stars of a new tv show inspired by that frat-style house. we'll speak with mark consuelos. that's still coming up. ready to? okay, who helps you focus on your recovery? yo, yo, yo. aflac. wow. [ under his breath ] that was horrible. pays you cash when you're sick or hurt? [ japanese accent ] aflac. love it. [ under his breath ] hate it. helps you focus on getting back to normal? [ as a southern belle ] aflac. [ as a cowboy ] aflac. [ sassily ] aflac. uh huh. [ under his breath ] i am so fired. you're on in 5, duck. [ male announcer ] when you're sick or hurt, aflac pays you cash. find out more at aflac.com. where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on.

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vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what?

this update on the story that brian todd was reporting, we're now being told that the radioactive material stolen in that mexican truck that thieves have recovered a sealed container -- this is from the mexico national nuclear commission, the radioactive material stolen in mexico found. the thieves removed it from a sealed contain,er this according

to mexico national nuclear commission. reuters just reporting that. we'll continue to monitor this story, if in fact this is accurate, that would be good news if they have in fact discovered the stolen radioactive material. a very different node right now, some of the most powerful men have been sharing a frat-style house for years up on capitol hill. it sounds like a sitcom. now it's actually a new testify series. mark consuelos is one of the stars. first, an exclusive look at the real-life lawmakers turned roommates. here as dana bash. >> reporter: paints peeling off the walls. sheets covering the windows, broken blinds, a mangled chair, an anchle stove with a giant hole and yes, that's underwear in the living room. what looks and feels like the most rundown frat house on campus is actually the capitol

hill home of some of the most powerful men in washington. >> welcome to omega house. >> i love what you've done with the place. >> dick durbin and chuck schumer, live here together. their landlord and third roommate is democratic congressman george miller. the house is so legendary, it inspired a new tv series, alpha house. except the senate roommates and the amazon.com show are republicans. >> we want to say -- they are nothing like us. they don't even begin -- >> when people see this house, they're going to neoknow. in the show it's nicer. >> now, wait a minute. units miller, the owner, started taking in tenants more than 30 years ago. the house hasn't been updated since. >> when we stopped buying lps, that's when the music stopped. >> same exact records are there now as the day i moved in in

1982. >> the best pardon about it are the products. this is my -- >> whose closet is it? >> mine. >> mr. neat's close the. schumer stuff is strewn all over the living room. >> seriously this is where you sleep? the refrigerator, this is a scary sight. >> yeah, that looks a little -- it's a lethal weapon. . the rats may have done that. >> reporter: how many rats did you have? >> don't ask. >> i had a dream literally two nights ago that that -- i didn't know they came to the house. >> what year is this from? >> ben franklin gave that to us. >> reporter: since this is not a kitchen fit for cooking, they take the easy route. cold cereal, they buy it in bulk. >> raisin bran. which one are you? >> i like the mini wheat.

>> i come in about midnight from my office. >> and we leave while he's sleeping. >> we do it by design. >> an opening scene of "alpha house" has a bowl of flag pins. this is what they have on counter. >> screws and a random pill and a pen. >> it's modern -- >> hard to believe such prominent politician -- >> when my wife comes, she will not stay here. >> but they're only in washington about three nights a week. >> reporter: what makes it work? >> your friends. >> we love it. it's home. >> dana bash, cnn at the real alpha house near capitol hill. and joining us mark consuelos, a real-life actor. is thanks so much for joining us. did you actually go visit that

real alpha house? >> no, we didn't get a chance to visit it. i've got to say. i'm shocked that senator schumer let you guys in. that's quite shocking. and it is messy, i would have to say. >> it's a disaster in there. i was pretty shocked myself. i knew that members were living together, spending a few nights a week there for years, but i was stunned to see what's going on in there. i'm sure you were ago well. tell us how you prepared for this role. i read an article about this, and it was in the "new york times" a few years ago. they are share a house in d.c., they asked me to plays marco rupe i don't type role.

anchts my character is having a lot of fun. i'm not sure that these guys are having this much fun, but -- i hope someday they do. >> did you ever live in one of -- >> in college i must have, but i put it out of my memory. i can't imagine living with three other guys. now even being established later on in life and being set in my ways, having to revert back to living with other guys. >> this is from your mom, back in 1996, which we found, the -- he is very happy.

they're finally on television portraying the his spannic man as a decent person, not a drug dealer or gang member. i think the character he portrays, people will see a different image. that's a nice quote from your mom itches that's a nice quote. camilla consuelos will be happy and my dad, tony will be jealous she made it on your show before he did. >> i guess that. >> mark, thanks. we want with some radioactive material on board. what are the mexican authorities saying? >> we're getting new information, that the national commission.

that the trek has found. they have found the truck, and they also found a container, which they say was found open. wolf? >> that's encouraging news. they found the truck, the radioactive material. we'll say astop this story. reporting for us from mexico. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. "crossfire" starts right now. tonight on "crossfire", how do we close the gap? >> just last week, be spoke at

length about this. >> but who has the -- >> the senate, the president continue to stand in the way of the people's priorities. who's helping and who's hurting? tonight on "crossfire." welcome to "crossfire." i'm -- >> in josh josh, members of congress who have very different answers are -- you know, i can't take it serally. to grow in the middle class. this is a president who has presided over the worst economic recovery since